


Threads

by ncfan



Series: Life Under a Starlit Sky [2]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, POV Female Character, Teaching, Textual Ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 15:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1903485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncfan/pseuds/ncfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Míriel teaches her craft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Threads

If the Tatyar were concerned with the gathering of knowledge and discovering every use for every last rock, tree and twig they came across, it was only natural that they would also be concerned with disseminating that knowledge. It was not for only themselves to know; knowledge was to be shared with anyone who would learn. Those that wouldn't, well, that was their own loss.

Herself particularly, Míriel had neither the time nor the patience to try to teach anyone anything that they were not willing to learn on their own. She watched Rúmil struggle and stumble over teaching unruly children his system of "writing" (non-verbal communication, that was, and there were unfortunately for Rúmil many who did not see the use of it at all), and winced at his distressed face when half of his students left him and most of the other half looked more bored than engrossed. She would not be like that, with only one or two students who actually paid attention to her and showed interest in her craft. (And for another thing, Míriel would be teaching adults _only_.)

There were a few who came to her. Finwë and Indis, of course, who had both been fascinated when Míriel had first stumbled on the art of needlework. Ingwë attended a few lessons, curious to see what was drawing his sister away from the Minyar's camp, but he soon lost interest and returned to his own people. Elwë came for a few lessons as well, for mostly the same reasons as Ingwë—though in this case it was to see what had Finwë so engrossed—but he stopped coming soon afterwards as well. Ránelindë and Lindarë began attending lessons, and Olwë and Elmo followed them. Olwë stopped coming eventually; Elmo stayed.

Most of Míriel students were of her own people. There were a few Minyar, and a few Nelyar. She had at most two dozen Quendi sitting around her, the number varying depending on who had their own duties and at what time. But they were all here determined to learn from her, and that made it more fulfilling than any crowd.

Neither Finwë nor Indis ever really mastered needlework, or weaving. Indis's work was passable, but Finwë usually ended up tangling his thread together, and Indis would look at his mess and laugh at his rueful smile.

Elmo wove nets to catch fish in. He would sit there, working with the fibers and thread and needle, barely responding to anything that went on around him, until Elwë came looking for him or Lindarë would shake his shoulder.

Lindarë could sew with flowing, artful stitches that put most of her fellow students to shame. Liamírë was the only one who could outdo her in the beauty of her work, humming softly as she worked and making good use of the new dyes a Nelya had discovered and brought to Míriel for her work.

There were those who took the lessons Míriel had given them and applied them elsewhere. Círcon discovered that the gutted intestines of animals could be woven tight and affixed to a new hunting weapon that allowed the Quendi to hunt with significantly less danger to themselves. Ránelindë and Núlon worked together, the former traveling from the Nelyar's camp regularly to visit her Tatyarin friend, and the two of them found that sewing shut particularly long or deep gashes that Quendi suffered enabled them to heal more quickly, and eased their suffering, as they lost less blood to their injuries.

"I don't suppose you would teach me how to work with your… needle, was it?" Rúmil asked her, coming up to Míriel with a tired expression on his face.

Míriel looked at him and smiled, perhaps more gently than was her wont. Rúmil had just come from another mostly fruitless lesson; he was attracting perhaps a few more students now, but not many. "I'm sure there is much we could teach each other."

Rúmil brightened a little at that, and sat down at her side.

**Author's Note:**

> Tatyar—'Seconds', the second clan of the Elves of Cuiviénen, named for Tata and Tatië, the former of whom was the second Elf to awake (Singular: Tatya) (Adjectival form: Tatyarin). Their name in Aman, 'Noldor' (meaning 'the Wise'), was given on account of this clan showing the earliest aptitude for intellectual and technical pursuits; it has a Primitive Quendian original in 'ñgolodō', from which is also derived the Sindarin 'Golodh', 'Golodhrim.'  
> Minyar—'Firsts', the first clan of the Elves of Cuiviénen, who were named for Imin and Iminyë, the former of whom was the first Elf to awaken. The Noldor called them 'Vanyar', 'Fair ones' (rendered in Primitive Quendian as 'wanjā', and rendered in Telerin as 'Vaniai'), due to the nearly-universal trait of fair hair among the clan, but even in Aman, they still often referred to themselves as 'Minyar.' (Singular: Minya) (Adjectival form: Minyarin)  
> Nelyar—'Thirds', the third clan of the Elves of Cuiviénen, who were named for Enel and Enelyë, the former of whom was the third Elf to awaken (Singular: Nelya) (Adjectival form: Nelyarin). The clan name they gave themselves was 'Lindar', meaning 'Singers' (rendered in Telerin as 'Lindai'; rendered in Primitive Quendian as 'lindā' or 'glindā, though the latter appears only in Sindarin), for it was said that they learned to sing before they learned to speak. During the Great March, they were dubbed the Teleri, 'those at the end of the line, the hindmost', for they were the last to leave Cuiviénen, and often lagged behind. This clan encompasses many different groups: the Falmari of Aman, the Sindar, and the Nandor (Which itself encompasses the Laiquendi and the Silvan-folk).  
> Quendi—literally 'the Speakers'; Elves (singular: Quendë) (Quenya)


End file.
